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White House cancels Obama's African safari after plans are revealed to include a military SNIPER team 'to take out lions and cheetahs if they threaten first couple'

By David Martosko In Washington

PUBLISHED: 14:58 EST, 13 June 2013 | UPDATED: 17:02 EST, 13 June 2013

President and Mrs. Obama are planning a trip to sub-Saharan Africa later in the month, but the White House has scotched a plan to include a Tanzanian safari on the agenda after a reporter revealed that a team of snipers with high-powered military assault rifles would accompany him in the wild.

The Washington Post reported Thursday afternoon that the itinerary's dangers 'would have required the presidentís special counterassault team to carry sniper rifles with high-caliber rounds that could neutralize cheetahs, lions or other animals if they became a threat.'

The newspaper based its report on a confidential planning document leaked from someone in the administration.

'But the White House canceled the safari Wednesday,' the report continued, 'after inquiries from The Post about the tripís purpose and expense, according to a person familiar with the decision.'

In terms of the Rome Statute, South Africa has the right to prosecute a war criminal on its territory, said Tayob.

Researchers from New York University School of Law and Stanford University Law School recently released a report entitled "Living Under Drones: Death, Injury and Trauma to Civilians From US Drone Practices in Pakistan".

They found that in four years Obama commissioned five times more drone attacks than former president George W Bush did in his two terms in the White House .

The report estimates drones have killed between 474 and 881 civilians, including 176 children.

The US Embassy in South Africa's spokesman Jack Hillmeyer said it had "no comment".